Discovery
by TheDevilsBride666
Summary: Micheletto saw things in Cesare's bedroom that could not be unseen. How will his master react when he discovers that Micheletto knows about his and Lucrezia's darkest secret? / One-Shot.


Disclaimer: I do not own "The Borgias" or any of it's characters, so I am not making any money with this story.

Micheletto was a shadow. It allowed him to witness things he shouldn't see, to discover weaknesses that led to a quick, clean death for his victims. Along came the things he didn't want to see, but automatically did. Nevertheless he never thought that these things could be related to his master.

Your Eminence Cesare Borgia might be a man of the church, but he was no Christ. By day, money, power and glory had a much stronger hold over him than God ever could. By night, the love of a naked woman comforted him much more than the one of Jesus Christ. Micheletto knew and respected all these traits – Cesare was simply too smart to follow holy, let alone hollow words without second thought. He had crossed many borders, but one surprised even Micheletto.

He'd just returned from Forli, where he'd paid his mother a visit out of sense of duty, when word of Caterina Sforza trying to poison pope Alexander XI. reached him. Micheletto returned to Rome immediately, not caring that it was in the middle of the night and opened the door to Cesare's bedroom without hesitation. The cardinal usually did not mind being disturbed, not from Micheletto, who knew his darkest secrets and followed his most dreadful orders. The assassin spied Cesare in his bed, beneath him a beautiful woman who had her legs wrapped around his thrusting hips and moaned sweet nothings in his ear while he kissed her neck. Micheletto only had a second to admire the beautiful curve of Cesare's muscular back before he caught sight of the face of the young lady. He had to suppress a gulp. The beautiful blonde enjoying Cesare's attention was known throughout whole Italy, probably throughout the whole world. Her name was on everybody's lips of everyday's gossip: she was Lucrezia Borgia, and she was sleeping with her very own brother.

Her eyes were closed in pleasure while the thought occurred to Micheletto that Caterina Sforza may not be poisoning the pope within the next twenty minutes. Silently he closed the door, hoping that nobody had already spotted him, and disappeared to a spot nearby in the darkness. He waited long minutes before the moaning from the room fell silent. Cesare opened the door, only wearing his leather pants. He whispered a few words to his sister which Micheletto couldn't understand. Lucrezia smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck like her legs had done with his hips before. The siblings leaned their foreheads together and smiled happily before Cesare gave his sister a gentle goodbye kiss. Micheletto was torn between emotion and strangeness when his master closed the door.

The assassin waited a good ten minutes before knocking on Cesare's bedroom door with urgency. It did not take the other man ten seconds to open the door with a look of alarm on his beautiful face. "Your Eminence", said Micheletto intending to sound breathless, as if he'd just returned, "there is word in Forli that Caterina Sforza is plotting to poison your father, the pope!"

Cesare's brows furrowed in grim sorrow. He grabbed Micheletto's arm and pulled him into his room. The assassin could not ignore the ruffled sheets that still had to smell of sweat and sex. He cleared his throat and reported on the rumors that surrounded the tigress of Forli's plans, Cesare listening with a darkening look on his handsome face.

"A spy among the food tasters", he concluded after Micheletto had finished, "this must be what's on her mind. Already copying Della Rovere's tricks – I took the woman for more creative than that!" He clicked his tongue in disapproval and clapped Micheletto's shoulder briefly. "Thank you, Micheletto. I'll see to my father." He disappeared quickly, without bothering to give his assassin a second look. If out of hurry or fear, that Micheletto could not tell.

The next morning the pope did not only have one, but two food tasters for every meal as well as every drink. The indestructible level of security made Cesare grin triumphal when he told Micheletto. His friend nodded. "Sounds secure even to me, Your Eminence." He waited for Cesare to say something else, but his master remained silent. They stared into each other's eyes with an inhibition they never felt before. Micheletto cleared his throat uncomfortably and turned to leave. He was almost out of the door when Cesare called him back. "Micheletto."

"Yes, Your Eminence?" He did not dare to turn around yet.

"You saw us, didn't you?" Cesare's voice sounded more broke than Micheletto ever heard it. He turned around and looked at his master who gave him a determined, but also frightened look. The assassin briefly considered lying, but knew all too well that Cesare would figure him out anyway. So he answered simply: "I did."

His master closed his dark eyes for a long second. When he opened them again, they were hard like stone and his voice sounded quite harsh when he asked: "What happens now?"

Micheletto was kind of surprised by this question. He raised his eyebrows. "The man who swings the sword for you is in no position to point it at your throat", he stated, "and feels no need to do so. I keep silent about your murders. It won't be any different with your sex life."

Cesare exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple frustrated. For some reason he did not look happy in the slightest. His dark eyes scrutinized Micheletto with intense desperation. "What do you think of me now? It must disgust you." His mouth twitched in bitterness. He lowered his gaze, as if he was not able to bear the judgmental look that he expected. "You couldn't understand. No one does. It is not just desires of the flesh, I truly love her, loved her from the day on that she was born, and apparently she feels the same for me."

"Actually, I think that I do understand very well, Your Eminence", Micheletto responded taken aback by his master's desperation. He felt the strange need to comfort Cesare, maybe even stroke his dark curls, but forbade himself to do it. Out of a strong impulse Micheletto added: "I can relate."

"Relate!" Cesare snorted in disbelief. He still hid his face. "I hardly doubt that you are in an incestuous relationship with any of your family members."

"Incestuous, no, Your Eminence. Highly unnatural – yes, very much so." Micheletto's heart pounded hard in his chest. Never had he told anyone who did not suffer the same fate about his tendencies. But no matter how cruel Cesare might be in the streets of Rome, he was a true friend to Micheletto. His only one, to be precise. Cesare Borgia could be trusted.

"I am in no position to judge you", Micheletto confessed, "you are not to blame, and neither is your sister. You are an attractive man, Your Eminence." He gifted Cesare with a crooked smile and waited if he caught the hint, but the other man just stared at him with furrowed brows. Micheletto cleared his throat again. "Love appears in the strangest forms and it doesn't always disappear when we want it to."

Cesare's face slowly cleared itself of confusion. He shot Micheletto an inquiring glance as he asked: "Care to tell me _how_ you can relate?"

Micheletto drew a deep breath. He never thought he would ever have the courage to tell his secret to the man he admired. "You may lie with your sister, Cesare Borgia, but I lie with men." It felt relieving and frightening at the same time to say it aloud. "Now it is my turn to ask: are you disgusted?"

"Disgusted? Not in the slightest. Surprised? Yes, to be honest." The young cardinal let out a relieved laugh. Finally he was able to look at Micheletto without fearing his reaction. "I never took you for this kind of man."

"I wish I could say the same about you, Your Eminence", Micheletto responded with a small smile, "but you always loved Lucrezia beyond all borders. Don't worry-", he added when he recognized the alarmed look on Cesare's face, "- they may suspect, but they will never know. This relationship provides no danger for you. And in case it does-" He raised the dagger that he wore on his belt with a wicked smile, "- my sword will put an end to it."

Cesare smiled relieved. "Thank you, Micheletto", he said nearly sheepishly.

The assassin put the dagger away again. "The pleasure was all mine."

The men smiled in silence, determined to protect each other's secrets with their life. Otherwise it would cost them the same – they knew that very well. But somehow, love was worth the price they paid.


End file.
